The present invention relates to an improved bean snipper, and more particularly to an orienter utilized as a part thereof for providing improved snipping efficiency.
By way of background, bean snippers are well known in the art. These devices automatically snip the ends off of snap beans preparatory to further processing thereof. Bean snippers of this type are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,705,516, 2,979,096, 3,010,498 and 3,378,051. Generally these prior art bean snippers receive beans within a drum which tumbles the beans. The drum has an outer annular wall with bean receiving holes therein which permit only the ends of the beans to protrude outwardly of the drum. These protruding ends are sliced off by knives which are located in contiguous relationship to the outside of the drum.
In prior art bean snippers, as described above, the entry of the ends of beans into the openings in the drum wall was strictly by mathematical probability. There was no structure within the drum for orienting the beans in such a manner so as to increase the mathematical probability of their being received in the openings in the drum wall.